Owen Hargreaves couldn't speak highly enough of Kobbie Mainoo ahead of Manchester United's clash with Sabah last night.
The midfielder (unsurprisingly) retained his starting spot for United's Champions League opener and played just over an hour as the Reds cruised to a comfortable win on home soil.
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Mainoo was eventually replaced by summer signing Andrey Santos in the 64th minute, while Benjamin Sesko simultaneously made way for Joshua Zirkzee for his first appearance of the season.
When United got their Premier League campaign underway last month, the 21-year-old started on the bench for the opening fixture against Hull City.

#mainoo #last #sabah

In a recent post on X, respected journalist Fabrizio Romano offered an update on Manchester City and their pursuit of Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo. It is believed that the Mancunian club are confident about recruiting the Dutch talent once the Reds find a replacement for him in this transfer window.
Gakpo enjoyed a good run of form at the Merseyside club but struggled to be consistent for them in the Premier League. Still, the 27-year-old deserves credit for scoring nine times and picking up six **** ists in 52 matches for Liverpool last season across all fronts.
The Dutch sensation is currently among the most talented wide players in Premier League football. Therefore, it is no surprise that Man City are eager to land him in this transfer window.
His current contract at Anfield will run out in the summer of 2030, so the Mancunian club would do well to get a deal done for him before the end of this month.
GUADALUPE, MEXICO – JUNE 29: Cody Gakpo #11 of the Netherlands reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco at Monterrey Stadium on June 29, 2026 in Guadalupe, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

#city #Liverpool

Manchester United are preparing to host Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon, but their starting lineup could drastically differ from the one they fielded in Hull last weekend.
The Red Devils began their campaign with a shocking 0-2 defeat against the Tigers. Therefore, they could ill-afford a misstep against another freshly promoted Premier League club, especially in their first home fixture of the season.
But to achieve a better result, Michael Carrick will have to make some tweaks to his lineup, obliterating some of the players who had poor performances in Hull.
(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Last weekend, Senne Lammens was one of the few Man Utd players who wasn't bashed for his display. Despite conceding two goals, he still had to pull off solid saves to spare his team further embarrassment. The Belgian goalkeeper's place in the lineup has never been in doubt since his arrival a year ago.

#sunday

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Martin Odegaard has made a strong start to 2026/27, scoring in the Community Shield against Manchester City before adding another goal in ***** nal's Premier League opener against Coventry City.
More than the goals, the midfielder's individual displays have helped ***** nal to put in a couple of flowing team performances.
The combinations between Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Ben White on the right-hand-side against Coventry were a reminder of the kind of football the trio can produce at their best.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

#justin

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Ezri Konsa looks set to become ******* nal's latest summer signing, but one small detail will remain unresolved until the move is officially completed, what shirt number the England defender will wear in north London?
Arsenal and Aston Villa have agreed a deal worth £51 million plus add-ons for Konsa, who is expected to complete his medical on Thursday before signing a long-term contract.
However, he seems unlikely to be registered in time to feature when ******* nal begin the defence of their Premier League ******* le against Coventry City on Friday night.
While several numbers have featured during Konsa's career, one vacant ******* nal shirt appears the most natural fit.

#recine #ezri

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Arsenal eased to a comfortable 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City on Sunday, with summer signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis playing a big part in the eventual result.
Guimaraes only played the first 45 minutes of the match, but his tough tackling and forward passing were key to the team making such a fast start. As for Tzolis, the left-winger provided two ***** ists to keep his fantastic pre-season form going ahead of the Premier League's start date.
Arsenal captain and Player of the Match Martin Odegaard had praised for both of his new teammates after the final whistle.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

#guimaraes

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Folarin Balogun could be at the centre of one of the summer's more surprising transfer stories after reports claimed the former ****** nal striker has been offered to Tottenham Hotspur, a move that could also hand the Gunners an unexpected financial boost.
The proposal is understood to have come from Balogun's representatives rather than Tottenham themselves, with intermediaries reportedly approaching the club to establish whether head coach Roberto De Zerbi would be interested in pursuing a deal.
Tottenham are in the market for a striker, while Balogun's future at Monaco has reportedly become increasingly uncertain despite the United States international still having two years remaining on his contract.
Monaco are said to be prepared to sell for the right price, with Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Sunderland and other English clubs also credited with an interest in the 25-year-old.

#striker #carl #getty #folarin

Pep Guardiola is reportedly seeking a €20m-a-year salary to take over as head coach of the Italy national team, and the latest updates indicate that the former Manchester City boss will give a definitive answer by the early stages of next week.
Guardiola left City after 10 trophy-laden seasons earlier this summer and has emerged as one of the dream candidates to take over as the new head coach of the Italy national side. Antonio Conte, Roberto Mancini and Andrea Pirlo are the other names currently being linked with the vacant CT role.
Recently-appointed FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and advisor Leonardo travelled to Barcelona to hold direct talks with Guardiola last weekend. Thursday’s reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that the Spaniard wants €20m-per-year to take over as Italy head coach.
FIGC President Giovanni Malagò has recently admitted that the federation would be willing to ‘make exceptions’ for candidates at a certain level, even name-checking the former City and Barcelona tactician, but the Italy national team are unlikely to be able to offer a potential new head coach any more than €10m per season.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, reacts as a montage of his time at Manchester City is played on the LED screen inside the stadium following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on May 24, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

#guardiola #coach

Roma have reportedly made the first offer to Chelsea for Alejandro Garnacho, on loan with option to buy for total €40m, but also approached West Ham for Crysencio Summerville.
ROME, ITALY – APRIL 18: Gian Piero Gasperini, Head Coach of AS Roma, reacts during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Atalanta BC at Stadio Olimpico on April 18, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
The Giallorossi are ready to begin building their team for the Champions League after ending a seven-year absence from the competition.
The priority is to give coach Gian Piero Gasperini some attacking wingers to suit his style of football.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 26: Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts during the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final match between Chelsea and Leeds United at Wembley Stadium on April 26, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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TNT Sports report that with 20 goal involvements at the World Cup so far, ******* nal are the Premier League club with the most goals and ******* ists at this year’s tournament.
Kai Havertz was ******* nal’s top scorer before Germany’s elimination, netting three times. Leandro Trossard has scored twice, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino, and Viktor Gyokeres once each.
In terms of ******* ists, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have three each. Once again, Trossard has two, and Gyokeres has two as well. Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes have one ******* ist each, completing the 20.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappe is Real Madrid’s best centre-forward option, but the club have always maintained that they prefer keeping a specialist finisher for games that get complicated.
After all, Mbappe is a winger converted to a striker, and Los Blancos see the need for an out-and-out finisher who can poach ******* in front of goal.
Gonzalo Garcia and Endrick, on that front, have been the club’s two most likely options to persist with. While the former’s future has been called into question, the latter is expected to have a certain role under Jose Mourinho.
Now, though, as reported by Mario Cortegana via Defensa Central, Mourinho values both Garcia and Endrick but sees both players as lacking one critical characteristic he wants in his striker – height.
Mourinho wants a new striker. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Reports in the UK claim that Roberto De Zerbi is hoping to add another left-sided forward to his ranks at Tottenham Hotspur, and that the club have held informal discussions with Milan for Rafael Leao, who is part Spurs’s three-player shortlist.
Tottenham have made it clear that they are willing to invest heavily in order to avoid a repeat of the 2025-26 season, which almost saw them relegated despite having won the Europa League the year before.
The headline news is that Italy international Sandro Tonali is set to join in a club-record deal worth €116m including bonuses. That is on top of another expensive deal for Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Jean-Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion. The North Londoners have also brought in proven Premier League experience in Andrew Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 24: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Newcastle United FC and Qarabag FK at St James’ Park on February 24, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
If Tottenham bring in another starting-quality left winger, the club’s total summer spend could be approaching the €400m (£350m) mark according to reports from the Independent.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JUNE 11: Raul Jimenez #9 of Mexico celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has now fully settled into its rhythm — and the stories transcending the pitch have only gotten bigger. Last week, we covered Lamine Yamal's sujood, Iran's impossible commute, and the accidental romance between Lawrence, Kansas and Algeria. Week two delivered something even harder to manufacture: a goalkeeper's mother clearing customs in time for a miracle reunion, a team that turned a Houston airport into a fashion week runway, an NFL quarterback becoming America's most beloved cultural ambassador, a Viking cheer that went from Norway to the New York City subway, and a group of kilt-wearing Scots who made Boston fall so hard the city signed a twinning agreement with Glasgow. Here are the five pop culture moments that defined the World Cup's second week.
When Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha broke down in tears after his historic 0-0 draw against Spain last week, he told the world two things: that his grandparents, who raised him, had passed before they could see this moment — and that his mother couldn't afford the bond required to secure a U.S. visa in time to watch him play. The internet responded the way the internet occasionally does when it's at its best.
Within 24 hours, GoFundMe campaigns had surpassed their targets. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries contacted Secretary of State Marco Rubio directly, asking the State Department to do everything in their power to ensure Vozinha’s mother could attend Cape Verde’s next match. Vozinha's mother, Ana Candida Evora, received U.S. visa approval with the intervention of the State Department, began her journey from Cape Verde's capital city of Praia on June 17, and made it to Miami Stadium to watch her son play against Uruguay on June 21.
The broader context matters here. Cape Verde was among 50 countries whose citizens faced bonds of up to $15,000 to secure a U.S. visa, part of broader travel restrictions — a requirement the Trump administration suspended for World Cup ticket holders, though critics noted it came too late for many families. The Vozinha story became a live stress test of that policy, and it ended — for one family, in one stadium — with a reunion on the world’s biggest stage.

In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Chelsea have set their sights on Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz. It has been claimed that the Blues are showing interest in acquiring the services of the Spanish talent later this year.
Ruiz enjoyed a decent run of form at the French club as he was responsible for producing a string of impressive displays for them at the centre of the park. The Spanish midfield ace made 34 appearances for PSG last season, scoring two goals and earning five **** ists in the process across all competitions.
The 30-year-old is currently among the best central midfielders in Ligue 1. Thus, Chelsea would do well to lure him to Stamford Bridge later this year.
His current contract at the French club will run out at the end of next season, which could open the door for the Blues to sign him on a cut-price deal in this transfer period.
ZAPOPAN, MEXICO – JUNE 26: Fabian Ruiz #8 of Spain arrives at the stadium prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Uruguay and Spain at Guadalajara Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Zapopan, Mexico. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Reports in Italy and the UK claim that Newcastle United have turned down an offer in the region of €92m (£80m) for Italy international Sandro Tonali from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, who are not the only club interested in picking up the former Milan midfielder this summer.
According to reports from various sources, Tottenham have had an initial offer for Tonali turned down by Newcastle. Sky Sports claims that Tottenham’s initial offer was around the €92m mark (£80m). Fabrizio Romano claims that the offer was made three days ago and that the bid was worth €86m (£75m).
Tonali remains under contract with Newcastle until the summer of 2029, with a club option to extend for a further 12 months until the summer of 2030.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 24: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Newcastle United FC and Qarabag FK at St James’ Park on February 24, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
According to reports from David Ornstein and The Athletic, Newcastle will seek a fee in the region of €115m (£110m) to part ways with Tonali this summer. Reports in Italy, such as from Gianluca Di Marzio, claim that a deal will be struck for a considerably lower fee in the region of €98m (£85m).